Open Government Data: Usage trends and metadata quality

2021 ◽  
pp. 016555152110277
Author(s):  
Alfonso Quarati
Keyword(s):  
Open Government ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Data Usage ◽  
Economic Progress ◽  
Open Government Data ◽  
Metadata Quality ◽  
Government Data ◽  
The Relationship

Open Government Data (OGD) have the potential to support social and economic progress. However, this potential can be frustrated if these data remain unused. Although the literature suggests that OGD data sets’ metadata quality is one of the main factors affecting their use, to the best of our knowledge, no quantitative study provided evidence of this relationship. Considering about 400,000 data sets of 28 national, municipal and international OGD portals, we have programmatically analysed their usage, their metadata quality and the relationship between the two. Our analysis has highlighted three main findings. First, regardless of their size, the software platform adopted, and their administrative and territorial coverage, most OGD data sets are underutilised. Second, OGD portals pay varying attention to the quality of their data sets’ metadata. Third, we did not find clear evidence that data sets’ usage is positively correlated to better metadata publishing practices. Finally, we have considered other factors, such as data sets’ category, and some demographic characteristics of the OGD portals, and analysed their relationship with data sets’ usage, obtaining partially affirmative answers.

scholarly journals Geospatial Open Data Usage and Metadata Quality

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 30
Author(s):  
Alfonso Quarati ◽  
Monica De Martino ◽  
Sergio Rosim
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Information ◽  
Open Data ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Data Usage ◽  
Open Government Data ◽  
Metadata Quality ◽  
Geospatial Datasets ◽  
Government Data ◽  
Determining Factor

The Open Government Data portals (OGD), thanks to the presence of thousands of geo-referenced datasets, containing spatial information are of extreme interest for any analysis or process relating to the territory. For this to happen, users must be enabled to access these datasets and reuse them. An element often considered as hindering the full dissemination of OGD data is the quality of their metadata. Starting from an experimental investigation conducted on over 160,000 geospatial datasets belonging to six national and international OGD portals, this work has as its first objective to provide an overview of the usage of these portals measured in terms of datasets views and downloads. Furthermore, to assess the possible influence of the quality of the metadata on the use of geospatial datasets, an assessment of the metadata for each dataset was carried out, and the correlation between these two variables was measured. The results obtained showed a significant underutilization of geospatial datasets and a generally poor quality of their metadata. In addition, a weak correlation was found between the use and quality of the metadata, not such as to assert with certainty that the latter is a determining factor of the former.

Invoking embeddedness and cybernetic theories for evaluating the national open government data portal of India

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stuti Saxena
Keyword(s):  
Economic Value ◽  
Open Government ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Social Fabric ◽  
Open Government Data ◽  
The Social ◽  
Government Data

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present an evaluation of the national Open Government Data (OGD) portal of India (www.data.gov.in) and underline the significance of maintaining the quality of the data sets published online. Design/methodology/approach The research approach bases itself on the adapted version of embeddedness theory and cybernetic model apart from the data sets–usability framework proposed in recent literature (Machova et al., 2018). Findings Findings from this study indicate that OGD initiative needs to be embedded in the social fabric of the country to ensure that the data sets are being reused by a myriad set of stakeholders for deriving social and economic value. Likewise, the linkages between the stakeholders (for instance, government, citizens, non-governmental bodies, private sector, etc.) should be fortified to enable the reuse of the data sets in an appropriate manner. Originality/value Maintenance of quality of the data sets holds paramount importance. Implicitly, efforts should be made on the part of all the stakeholders concerned that the data sets be qualitatively and quantitatively adequate. This paper concludes with limitations and further research pointers.

scholarly journals Smarter Open Government Data for Society 5.0: Are Your Open Data Smart Enough?

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (15) ◽  
pp. 5204
Author(s):  
Anastasija Nikiforova
Keyword(s):  
Industry 4.0 ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Open Data ◽  
Digital Data ◽  
Open Government ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Time Data ◽  
Open Government Data ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Government Data

Nowadays, governments launch open government data (OGD) portals that provide data that can be accessed and used by everyone for their own needs. Although the potential economic value of open (government) data is assessed in millions and billions, not all open data are reused. Moreover, the open (government) data initiative as well as users’ intent for open (government) data are changing continuously and today, in line with IoT and smart city trends, real-time data and sensor-generated data have higher interest for users. These “smarter” open (government) data are also considered to be one of the crucial drivers for the sustainable economy, and might have an impact on information and communication technology (ICT) innovation and become a creativity bridge in developing a new ecosystem in Industry 4.0 and Society 5.0. The paper inspects OGD portals of 60 countries in order to understand the correspondence of their content to the Society 5.0 expectations. The paper provides a report on how much countries provide these data, focusing on some open (government) data success facilitating factors for both the portal in general and data sets of interest in particular. The presence of “smarter” data, their level of accessibility, availability, currency and timeliness, as well as support for users, are analyzed. The list of most competitive countries by data category are provided. This makes it possible to understand which OGD portals react to users’ needs, Industry 4.0 and Society 5.0 request the opening and updating of data for their further potential reuse, which is essential in the digital data-driven world.

Enhancing transparency through open government data: the case of data portals and their features and capabilities

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Lněnička ◽  
Renata Machova ◽  
Jolana Volejníková ◽  
Veronika Linhartová ◽  
Radka Knezackova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Open Data ◽  
Open Government ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Web Content ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Domain Experts ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
Open Government Data ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Government Data

PurposeThe purpose of this paper was to draw on evidence from computer-mediated transparency and examine the argument that open government data and national data infrastructures represented by open data portals can help in enhancing transparency by providing various relevant features and capabilities for stakeholders' interactions.Design/methodology/approachThe developed methodology consisted of a two-step strategy to investigate research questions. First, a web content analysis was conducted to identify the most common features and capabilities provided by existing national open data portals. The second step involved performing the Delphi process by surveying domain experts to measure the diversity of their opinions on this topic.FindingsIdentified features and capabilities were classified into categories and ranked according to their importance. By formalizing these feature-related transparency mechanisms through which stakeholders work with data sets we provided recommendations on how to incorporate them into designing and developing open data portals.Social implicationsThe creation of appropriate open data portals aims to fulfil the principles of open government and enables stakeholders to effectively engage in the policy and decision-making processes.Originality/valueBy analyzing existing national open data portals and validating the feature-related transparency mechanisms, this paper fills this gap in existing literature on designing and developing open data portals for transparency efforts.

Asymmetric Open Government Data (OGD) framework in India

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 434-448 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stuti Saxena
Keyword(s):  
Economic Value ◽  
Open Data ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Open Government ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Indian States ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Open Government Data ◽  
Government Data ◽  
The Government

Purpose With the ongoing drives towards Open Government Data (OGD) initiatives across the globe, governments have been keen on pursuing their OGD policies to ensure transparency, collaboration and efficiency in administration. As a developing country, India has recently adopted the OGD policy (www.data.gov.in); however, the percolation of this policy in the States has remained slow. This paper aims to underpin the “asymmetry” in OGD framework as far as the Indian States are concerned. Besides, the study also assesses the contribution of “Open Citizens” in furthering the OGD initiatives of the country. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory qualitative following a case study approach informs the present study using documentary analysis where evidentiary support from five Indian States (Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, West Bengal, Sikkim and Gujarat) is being drawn to assess the nature and scope of the OGD framework. Further, conceptualization for “Open Citizen” framework is provided to emphasize upon the need to have aware, informed and pro-active citizens to spearhead the OGD initiatives in the country. Findings While the National OGD portal has a substantial number of data sets across different sectors, the States are lagging behind in the adoption and implementation of OGD policies, and while Telangana and Sikkim have been the frontrunners in adoption of OGD policies in a rudimentary manner, others are yet to catch up with them. Further, there is “asymmetry” in terms of the individual contribution of the government bodies to the open data sets where some government bodies are more reluctant to share their datasets than the others. Practical implications It is the conclusion of the study that governments need to institutionalize the OGD framework in the country, and all the States should appreciate the requirement of adopting a robust OGD policy for furthering transparency, collaboration and efficiency in administration. Social implications As an “Open Citizen”, it behooves upon the citizens to be pro-active and contribute towards the open data sets which would go a long way in deriving social and economic value out of these data sets. Originality/value While there are many studies on OGD in the West, studies focused upon the developing countries are starkly lacking. This study plugs this gap by attempting a comparative analysis of the OGD frameworks across Indian States. Besides, the study has provided a conceptualization of “Open Citizen” (OGD) which may be tapped for further research in developing and developed countries to ascertain the linkage between OGD and OC.

The impact of open government data on accountability and transparency

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 204-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stuti Saxena ◽  
Irfan Muhammad
Keyword(s):  
Private Sector ◽  
Citizen Participation ◽  
Open Government ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Open Government Data ◽  
Government Data ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Accountability, citizen participation and transparency are the three pillars on which open government data (OGD) is based. As such, OGD implies that the government shall provide data freely via the internet so that the same may be re-used for diverse purposes. It is hoped that by re-using government data, public value shall be co-created and government services might be improved upon with the involvement of different stakeholders. The purpose of this paper is to underline the impact of OGD on accountability and transparency in the context of Pakistan where OGD initiative is taking roots for quite some time now. In the present study, the authors seek to investigate the challenges being faced by the professionals in the private sector and nongovernment organizations (NGOs) in Pakistan. Besides, the authors also seek inputs from the respondents in the manner in which OGD initiative of Pakistan has impact on ensuring accountability and transparency. Design/methodology/approach For conducting the review of the national OGD portal of Pakistan, the authors invoke documentary analysis wherein the authors investigate the features of the national OGD portal of Pakistan. Furthermore, the authors conducted structured interviews with 49 senior management representatives from private sector and NGOs in order to gauge the challenges encountered by them in tapping OGD from diverse online public sources. Findings Respondents aver that robust statistical analysis is not feasible via the data sets being shared by the online sources. More initiatives are required on the part of the government bodies to release the data sets which have remained confined in silos. Government should institutionalize an OGD policy and promote the re-use of OGD by the professionals from diverse backgrounds. At present, only educational data are being shared by the OGD portal of Pakistan and it is important that more data sets are being released in the public domain. Furthermore, the respondents perceive that in a bid to be more accountable and transparent, the government bodies should release data sets via the online channels which are user-friendly. Research limitations/implications The present study conducted a qualitative research where the number of respondents was relatively less. Further research is required by adopting quantitative approach in order to accommodate more respondents and lend reliability to the study. Nevertheless, the study holds implications for academicians and practitioners in the sense that while it is needed that further research be conducted on the OGD initiative of Pakistan, it is imperative that policy makers get involved in institutionalizing the OGD initiative of Pakistan at national and local levels. Social implications Professionals might be better involved in creating and co-creating products and services by tapping OGD. Originality/value Given that OGD initiative in Pakistan is in a nascent stage and research is wanting in exploring the nature and scope of Pakistan’s OGD, the present study seeks to contribute toward the existing OGD literature.

Systematic and ontology-based approach to interoperable cross-domain open government data services

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hadi Masoumi ◽  
Bahar Farahani ◽  
Fereidoon Shams Aliee
Keyword(s):  
Social Innovation ◽  
Open Government ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Full Potential ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Data Services ◽  
Open Government Data ◽  
Government Data

Purpose Open government data (OGD) has emerged as a radical paradigm shift and endeavor among government administrations across the world mainly due to its promises of transparency, accountability, public-private collaboration, civic participation, social innovation and data-driven value creation. Complexity, cross-cutting nature, diversity of data sets, interoperability and quality issues usually hamper unlocking the full potential value of data. To tackle these challenges, this paper aims to provide a novel solution using a top-down approach. Design/methodology/approach In this paper, the authors propose a systematic ontology-based approach combined with a novel architecture and its corresponding processes enabling organizations to carry out all the steps in the OGD value chain. In addition, an OGD Platform including a portal (www.iranopendata.ir) and a data management system (www.ogdms.iranopendata.ir) are developed to showcase the proposed solution. Findings The efficiency and the applicability of the solution are evaluated by a real-life use case on energy consumption of the buildings of the city of Tehran, Iran. Finally, a comparison was made with existing solutions, and the results show the proposed approach is able to address the existing gaps in the literature. Originality/value The results imply that modeling and designing the data model, as well as exploiting an ontology-based approach are critical pillars to create rich, relevant and well-described OGD data sets. Moreover, clarity on processes, roles and responsibilities are the key factors influencing the quality of the published data services. Thus, to the best of the knowledge, this is the first study that exploits and considers an ontology-based approach in a top-down manner to create OGD data sets.

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